As much as I personally love finding new foods to eat, I feel that much better when I can share some of the findings with family and friends. Though, it would be fair to say I don’t always remember to get to a city supermarket for some last-minute local food souvenir shopping. Enter: airport supermarkets. […]
South America
Chinatown Around the World
As a child, I used to think that the Manhattan Chinatown was one of the coolest neighborhoods to wander around. Whether it was the detailed writing system, the food, or the history, I was enthralled. But how would it compare with other Chinatowns around the world? After starting to travel, I realized that New York […]
A Tale of Six Ceviche
Ceviche (seh-VEE-chay) — or, is it cebiche? — is one of Peru’s most famous culinary exports, although its origins are indeed a mystery. It might have stemmed from the Incas, who discovered that chicha, or fermented maize, could help preserve seafood. Perhaps it was the Spanish conquistadors from Andalusia, who introduced different citruses such as […]
Peru’s Most Famous Attraction Reopens for Tourism
Closed to visitors since 21 January, one of the world’s most famous archeological sites has finally reopened. On 15 February, Machu Picchu reopened to tourists. Having been constructed around 1450, the UNESCO site — which means “old mountain” or “old peak” in the native Quechua language — is located around 7972 feet above sea level […]
Are Visas Required for United States Citizens to Enter Paraguay?
Chungking Mansions was part of a weekly ritual for me when I lived in Hong Kong, and to a lesser extent Shenzhen, right across the border. Chungking Mansions was a world unto itself, filled with West African “member’s only” restaurants, Turkish and Indian restaurants, Pakistani and Bengali phone vendors, and octogenarian tenants, either in cramped […]
Argentina and the Fifty Peso Note
Time to create a word: inflatuation. Meaning? (Tourist with a) fondness for countries suffering from superlatively high inflation. Venezuela might be the reigning regional champ, but this issue isn’t new to Argentina either. While your country is grappling with excessive inflation, you might as well instruct your state bank to try to instill some nationalist […]
COVID-19 Update: Chile Reopens All Land Borders as of 1 May
According to France24, after having been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic since 17 March 2020, the government of Chile has finally reopened all of its land borders to all visitors, as of yesterday, 1 May. This decision was due in part to steadily declining cases throughout Chile, but also that the Chilean government recognizes […]